To my fellow medic students…
Well, one in particular. They know who they are. They’re the one with a spouse and kids and a full time job. They’re the one who’s stressed to the point where they want to scream, kick puppy dogs, and strangle the next person who tells them that “It’s going to be okay,” and that they”ll “get through it”, and that “the end result is all worth it”.
You’re stretched kinda thin right now. And you know it.
And, unfortunately…. The worst is yet to come.
Wait until you start clinicals.
Wait until you start cardiac.
The endocrine system is a total BITCH!
Wait until you’re reciting information on drugs until your head spins. While in the grocery store.
Wait until you are so burned out from school that you truly believe that learning one more bit of information is going to push out something that you truly need to know. Like your address or phone number or the names of your kids.
It’s going to happen.
You’ll be at this point several times over the next several months. I know. I’ve been there before, and I’m there now. Juggling it all is difficult, but it’s not beyond our reach. We can do it. WE CAN DO IT! (I’m doing my best Waterboy imitation now, email me if you don’t get it)
You need to keep it together. We all do. And the horror stories are not going to help, but you’re going to hear them. So take them in stride and move on. The important part is that you KEEP MOVING FORWARD. Keep reading. Keep reciting. Keep going. And you know what, it IS worth it. So FIGHT!
Yes, it’s going to get worse, and I’m sorry to be the one to say this to you, particularly since I was the one who begged you to go to Basic school… But I saw that potential in you… Like someone saw in me. And that’s where I’m coming from. Look how far you’ve come from just a year ago! You’re working for one of the best services in the country! It might not be doing what you want to do, but it’s a foot in the door. You know that.
Please… Try to not get so discouraged. You can do this. You really can.
As a friend of mine would say, “You GOT this.” And the truth is, you do. You KNOW it.
You got this. You do.
And so do I.
Comments
What you just wrote needs to be given to every person even considering medic school. Thanks for writing it. Hopefully this classmate will benefit from it.
Yep. Been there, doing that. I can only imagine how nice it’ll be in a mere 7 weeks when I graduate after a long, long 15 months. I’m sure looking back on it all we’ll smile and remember with fondness the time spent in medic school. Aw, who am I kidding – it’s sheer hell….
Stick with the boring stuff in the beginning. It gets better, and then worse, and then…..:-)
How long is your program, anyways ?
Epi? You GOT this. Rock on, best friend.
I was the spouse trying to get back to working 2 jobs to support us so he could reduce hours to leave him time to study, with a 3 week old colicy baby fresh out of the NICU sending my husband off for 18 months of medic school.
he didn’t make it more than a month. if he had gone any longer, i probably would have left to go live with my mother, or for that matter, i was so freaking desperate, i would have lived with ANYONE else would would help me sleep more than 20 minutes a night. And stop having to fold so much freaking laundry all by myself.
I was so angry/sleep deprived/post partum depression-y/overworked enough that I could have never ever come back. EVER. There are some times in life when you can’t be supportive enough of your spouses endeavors because you are simply NOT hanging in there for yourself.
I agree with the commentator that said this post ought to be shown to prospective students. Sure, you don’t know what life is going to throw your way and sometimes you have to stick out the hard stuff, but sometimes taking on too much isn’t healthy either.
Did we know the baby would be in the NICU and so sick and then have such horrible colic? no. there really wasn’t a way to predict that. But we KNEW we were going to have a baby about a month before class started. In retrospect, that was a really dumb idea, to try to send him for his medic at that point in our lives. We were young and stupid, newlyweds with baby stars in our eyes, and thought we could take on the world. I know, beyond dumb. I’m hoping other folks take on the class with a better perception of reality.
It’s good of you to remain positive, and encourage your fellow students. Smetimes there are just bad days that you have to get through, and then it doesn’t seem so bad anymore.
But the point I’m trying to make is, it’s not always just about the student. It’s about the other parts of their lives too.
I hope your fellow student can make it. I hope it’s just one of those instances when it’s just a bad day/week/lesson plan. I hope sincerely that tommorow the sun will rise, and it will feel better.
And I hope everyone in the medic class with you goes home and gives their support system a really big hug and says thank you EVERY SINGLE NIGHT because the folks holding down the fort at home matter too. They go through this with you, and they deserve the acknolwedgement of that.
Thanks a lot Epi… I start in 21 days. Is it too late to back out?
@Medic 7 — Dude, we’re in this for the long haul. So, absolutely not.
@Ambulance Mommy — Thanks for the excellent comment… I think that deserves a post to itself. I don’t know how you lasted four days, let alone four weeks… This line says it all: “There are some times in life when you can’t be supportive enough of your spouses endeavors because you are simply NOT hanging in there for yourself.” So very very true. Mind if I email you?
VTEMT– Congrats on your upcoming graduation! My program is ten months of classroom with an additional two months to finish up clinical hours and ride time.
Thanks Tim… She hasn’t commented yet, I’m not even sure if she’s read the post, but rest assured I will not allow her to wig out. She’s going to stick it out if I have to drag her happy ass through the next 2 years.
Don’t worry Epi! you won’t have to drag my happy ass through the next two years! I won’t give up until they pry my dead, cold hands from around all my paramedic books!
I think me and the family had our epiphany this weekend, things are much better! and thank you for being such a good friend! I needed this post so much!
And Tim is right, anyone even contemplating medic school should read this! and yes I’ve benefitted greatly from it!
and when its my turn to remind you why we’re doing this I shall!
The best info I learned about the endocrine system was why you have to pee so often once you “burst the seal”. Seriously though, I remember far more than I thought I ever would and have to CONSTANTLY refer back to my materials. RELAX. One day you’ll be telling some poor schmuck he’ll be fine. You’ll be the seasoned medic. Hoops, baby – it’s all just jumoing through hoops.
Made it thru nursing school (diploma school – 36 months with 2 months off for vacation in there somewhere) – 3 kids – 1 spouse – worked as a CNA every day I wasnt in nursing school – kudos to my spouse who kept me from quitting (Almost, but not quite, daily) and who would patiently answer my morning, still dark out question of – “Quick, what day of the week is it? What uniform do I wear today and where do I have to go?” as soon as the alarm went off!
Hang in there – it can be done – or as this saying that I kept posted with site during those years “Yagottawanna” and that is what keeps you plodding thru it…
Great post…I love the encouraging words right now. The idea that it’s going to get worse is kinda scary though!
Excellent post Epi- I told my daughter this and spent more than a few days/nights counselling her to hang on… She made it as one of 8 out of 22 that originally started the program and was the ONLY female to graduate.
YES! I was there. I almost quite, luckily I had my wife to kick me back into reality. The result is well worth the fight, lack of sleep, stress, lack of sleep, stress..oops sorry flash backs.
What state are you in? I am in Michigan and our medic program is fifteen months. And then a 3 month (250 hr) internship. We will be done with the class in December and then March we will be done with the internship. My class is falling apart. We are all about ready to kill one another. We have had 2 instances of people cheating. I guess they don’t realize there will be no one there to cheat off of and the Nat’l Registry. Is your state Nat’l Registry?
Hi Tammy
I’m in Ohio, definitely a NR state. I remember the first time I went through, we were the same way… for the last three months of the program we kind of just lost it mentally. I can see this class heading that way already and we’re barely a month in.
it is the hardest 14 months of my life. if i didnt have the support of my wife and half-way understanding of my 3 little ones i would have never made. it is all over now, registry test passed. so glad i went thru it. good luck to all! a friend in tennessee.